A Mercer County teacher was arrested this week after she was accused of sexually assaulting a student at a state nature preserve, authorities said.
Jessica Sawicki, 37, of Point Pleasant was charged with five counts of second-degree sexual assault and five counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to a release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Sawicki is an English teacher Hamilton High School West, the office said.
The principal of the school could not immediately be reached for comment.
The alleged acts began earlier this year and happened on several occasions at the state-owned Assunpink Wildlife Management Area in Upper Freehold Township, investigators said. The nature preserve is a vast, 6,393-acre area comprised of fields, hedgerows, woods and wetlands in Monmouth County.
Sawicki was arrested earlier this week and taken to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution where she is being held until her first appearance and detention hearing, officials said. Attorney information was not immediately available.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective David Sidorakis at 800-533-7443.
Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.
Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
